The merger of artistic gumption and shrewd business sense sets New York apart, and this list pays tribute to both qualities, with some of the year’s defining artists — “Marriage Story” director Noah Baumbach and star Scarlett Johansson; playwrights Jackie Sibblies Drury, Katori Hall and Jeremy O. Harris; and novelist Taffy Brodesser-Akner — sharing space with dealmakers like A&E’s Paul Buccieri, FilmNation’s Glen Basner and UTA’s Mackenzie Roussos. What they all have in common is New York: the opportunities the city has provided, and the grit it can’t help giving all who call it home.
By Dan D’Addario, Elizabeth Wagmeister, Caroline Framke, Mackenzie Nichols, Meg Zukin, Ramin Setoodeh, Brent Lang, Jem Aswad and Malina Saval
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Janet Mock
Image Credit: Hello Von By Billy Porter
“Janet Mock first came into my world in 2014. I saw her on MSNBC, discussing her New York Times best-selling book ‘Redefining Realness,’ and I was obsessed with her. She represented something I had really never seen. As a gay man who came out in 1985, the ‘T’ in ‘LGBTQ’ was largely absent from my queer knowledge, and I was just so moved by this woman.”
Read the full essay by Porter, the star of FX’s “Pose” and the first openly gay black man to win an Emmy for lead actor in a drama, here.
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Safdie Brothers
Image Credit: Hello Von By Timothée Chalamet
“Have you ever been to a fancy party with Josh and Benny Safdie? They stick out like sore thumbs. If they had it their way, they would arrive to the Oscars via subway and climb up to the Dolby from belowground. The New York directing duo have taken it upon themselves to keep alive the mantle of gritty and raucously interior inner-city films built by spiritual kin like Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee. The pair have continuously put out contemporary, raw and untethered work over the last decade, each film building on the traits of the prior, but never once sacrificing their innate grittiness.”
Read the full essay by Chalamet, the Oscar-nominated actor appearing in “The King” and “Little Women” this year, here.
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Natasha Lyonne
Image Credit: Hello Von By Rosie O’Donnell
“I knew nothing of Natasha Lyonne when I saw her walking into the Westside Arts Theatre on Sept. 14, 2009. It was the first day of rehearsal for the Off Broadway show ‘Love, Loss, and What I Wore.’ I watched this big-haired, redheaded, charmingly awkward and quite stunning young woman introduce herself to the cast. ‘Me,’ she said, ‘I’m like a set of irregular sheets.’ Her self-deprecation seeped out through a Cheshire cat smile. She had me at irregular.”
Read the full essay by O’Donnell, actress, writer, activist and talk-show host, here.
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Jennifer Lopez
Image Credit: Hello Von By Lorene Scafaria
“I met Jennifer Lopez in the kitchen of her house in Los Angeles almost three years ago. I bought an outfit for the meeting, like a freshman on the first day of school, which is probably around the first time I saw Jennifer Lopez on TV: a Fly Girl, a third-season replacement, a runner-up given a lucky break, though watching her, then and now, it seems luck had little to do with it. Jennifer walked in the room, straight from a workout, like a prizefighter without a scratch. And yes, she glows from within and is all the things you’d want Jennifer Lopez to be — tough, cool, smart, warm, charming, challenging, maternal, relatable, ethereal, singular.”
Read the full essay by Scafaria, director of “Hustlers,” here.
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Kieran Culkin
Image Credit: Hello Von By Kenneth Lonergan
“It’s hard to write about Kieran in this context because I genuinely love and admire him, and genuinely find him aggravating. Only when he is unsure of himself is my first impulse to praise and encourage him. But I have to clarify: His values, for lack of a less dirtied-up word, and his morals — which are way too severe for me — will always restrain him from being obnoxious because he’s doing well. He’s just one of those people who are pleasanter when you have them at a disadvantage, so that’s how I prefer it. Maybe that’s just my own insecurity talking.”
Read the full essay by Lonergan, playwright, director and Oscar-winning screenwriter for “Manchester by the Sea,” here.
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Beanie Feldstein
Image Credit: Hello Von By Ben Platt
“I have been basking in the glow of Beanie Feldstein since I was 14 years old. We became instant best friends on the first day of freshman year, our shared seventh-period lunch setting us on a predestined path of lifelong love. Beanie’s unique brand of magic has been apparent to everyone from the start, even in our inaugural joint performance of ‘Guys and Dolls’ at school in which she more than rose to the occasion portraying soprano ingénue Sarah Brown, when we all know that Beanie, a world-class comedian and belter, has Adelaide in her veins.”
Read the full essay by Platt, the Tony-winning lead of “Dear Evan Hansen” and star of Netflix’s “The Politician,” here.
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Craig Melvin
Image Credit: Hello Von By Al Roker
“I’m just going to come right out and say this. I have a man crush on Craig Melvin, and I don’t care who knows it. How can you not love this guy? He’s a young Southerner who was raised by a mom who was a teacher and a dad who worked shifts at the post office in South Carolina. I love that even though he is so young, he has made his success the old-fashioned way: through hard work, coming up through local news in South Carolina, winning Emmy Awards, becoming an honored anchorman. Then at the NBC station in Washington, D.C., he not only distinguished himself with his journalistic chops — he multitasked by meeting, wooing and marrying the much more talented sportscaster Lindsay Czarniak.”
Read the full essay by Roker, host and weatherman on NBC’s “Today Show,” here.
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Amy Entelis
Image Credit: Hello Von By Jake Tapper
“What’s especially amazing about Amy Entelis’ achievements at CNN is that this is her second act — and one that surprised a lot of people. I first met Amy when she was a talent executive at ABC News, where for more than two decades she hired correspondents and anchors who went on to become household names, including a number of women and other journalists who reflect the diversity of this world. She is proud of us, having brought us in and coached us and served as our friend and mentor. It’s more than pride, really. In Yiddish the word is ‘kvell’ — almost a bursting with joy for the success of someone you love. Her greatest joy was seeing us succeed.”
Read the full essay by Tapper, anchor of CNN’s “The Lead” and “State of the Union,” here.
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Scarlett Johansson
Image Credit: Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP/Shutterstock Screen queen
Twenty-five years into her career, Johansson keeps upping the ante. This year, she stole the limelight in the highest-grossing film of all time, “Avengers: Endgame” while dazzling with alternate warmth and hard edge in the art-house films “Marriage Story” and “Jojo Rabbit.” Next up are more firsts: a solo headlining gig for Marvel in 2020’s “Black Widow” and, possibly, her first — and second — Oscar nominations.
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Edward Norton
Image Credit: Scott Kirkland/Shutterstock Omnivorous talent
With 2019 crime drama “Motherless Brooklyn,” Norton makes his second directorial effort, following 2000’s comedy drama “Keeping the Faith.” This literary adaptation allows Norton not only to flex his directing and screenwriting muscles but to plunge into a role in a manner he hasn’t in years, depicting a character with Tourette syndrome trying to solve a murder case. Years after emerging as a talent to watch in films like “American History X,” Norton seems ready to reclaim his mantle among his generation’s brightest talents.
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Kasi Lemmons
Image Credit: Michelle Quance/Variety/Shutterstock Film crusader
With “Harriet,” director Lemmons imbues one of American history’s most painful moments with heroism and light. Her story of Harriet Tubman leading slaves to freedom — animated with the passionate energy of actor Cynthia Erivo — pulses with energy. It’s a film whose willingness to lend contemporary verve to the past is the latest testament to the gifted Lemmons, a film professor whose first feature, “Eve’s Bayou,” is considered a modern classic.
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Charlamagne Tha God
Image Credit: Nina Prommer/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Radio provocateur
As a host of the nationally syndicated “Breakfast Club” radio show and the “Brilliant Idiots” podcast, Charlamagne Tha God is the rare interviewer who isn’t afraid to ask his subjects unfiltered, difficult and controversial questions. His conversations with Elizabeth Warren, multiple hip-hop artists and others have gone viral. He’s also a New York Times best-selling author whose latest book “Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks On Me” is an effort to help eradicate the stigma around mental health.
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Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Image Credit: Joshua Bright Lit-world darling
Brodesser-Akner’s first novel, the divorce saga “Fleishman Is in Trouble,” hit the New York Times best-seller list — not the first time the writer’s name appeared in that paper. Before pivoting to fiction, Brodesser-Akner attracted legions of fans with her carefully wrought, sensitive profiles of entertainment luminaries like Gwyneth Paltrow, Bradley Cooper and Melissa McCarthy. She’s entering those stars’ world in a new way as a Hollywood creator: Her novel has been optioned by FX for a limited series.
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Michael Barbaro
Image Credit: Courtesy of Jake Chessum/New York Times “Daily” showman
The New York Times’ flagship podcast The Daily recently cracked 1 billion downloads, and Barbaro is a big part of the reason why. His studious newshound persona and refreshingly un-stodgy delivery has given the newspaper a voice, one with the power to attract younger listeners not in the habit of subscribing to home delivery. The existence of a TV version of the Times’ deeper multimedia reporting, FX’s “The Weekly,” proves the impact of Barbaro’s project.
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Jackie Sibblies Drury
Image Credit: Broadway World/Shutterstock Theater firebrand
Sibblies Drury’s “Fairview,” a play that examines the racial composition of theater audiences, dominated cultural conversations in New York — and won the Pulitzer — thanks both to its provocative take on who the theater exists to serve and its perfect execution. “Fairview” has gone on to play Washington, D.C., and will reach London later this year, spreading Sibblies Drury’s incisive questioning about who gets to see and to create theater worldwide.
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Robert & Michelle King
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/TVLine/Shutterstock “The Good Wife” showrunners
Fresh off another critically lauded season of CBS All Access’ “The Good Fight,” the powerhouse writing duo launched buzzy CBS drama “Evil” and confirmed their status as two of TV’s most reliably prolific producers.
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Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Image Credit: Rex/Shutterstock “Solo’s” double act
These married filmmakers pulled off an Oscar coup with their best documentary winner “Free Solo.” The film’s success can be credited in part to its dazzling, difficult-to-obtain footage of climber Alex Honnold’s solitary, unassisted climb up the sheer rock face of Yosemite’s El Capitan; that these shots were taken without endangering Honnold or compromising the movie’s aesthetic quality is a testament to Chin and Vasarhelyi’s determination. No wonder they related so much to their obsessive subject.
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Jeremy O. Harris
Image Credit: Broadway World/Shutterstock Broadway’s newest superstar
After graduating from Yale School of Drama this year, Harris is making his debut as a playwright produced on Broadway with “Slave Play,” a drama that entertained and provoked sold-out crowds during an Off Broadway run. He’s also an outspoken advocate of inclusion and representation in theater and in its audience, and has a burgeoning friendship with Rihanna, whom he has called his muse.
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Paul Buccieri
Image Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Shutterstock A&E chief
Replacing Nancy Dubuc at the helm of A+E Networks Group when she left for Vice last year, Buccieri has overseen an exciting time for the networks, with shows like Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly” and History’s “Project Blue Book” drawing attention to the group’s reach and ambition.
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Mel Robbins
Image Credit: Nicole Rivelli/Sony Pictures Television Dr. Phil’s heir
Self-help guru Robbins — who advocates for the 5 Second Rule, or transforming one’s life through contemplative pauses, as explained in a TEDx Talk — is now a daytime talk-show host, with a syndicated program bringing her brand of earthy inspiration to the masses. Robbins’ appeal may be that she admits to having struggled in her own life, making her relatable to fans no matter how successful she becomes.
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Sasha Velour
Image Credit: Lontano Paposo “Drag Race” star (is born)
Since being crowned the winner of the ninth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2017, Sasha Velour has filmed a Quibi series, become WME’s first drag queen client, toured her one-woman show “Smoke & Mirrors” and established herself as a loud voice for the marginalized and creative force in and out of drag.
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Olivia Wilde
Image Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock “Booksmart” director
The former “House” star proved she can direct with “Booksmart,” a hilarious look at two nerdy teens who indulge in a blowout night of partying on the eve of their high school graduation. The film, her feature debut as a director, played like a feminist riff on “Superbad” and scored stellar reviews. Fresh off its success, Wilde saw her pitch to direct and produce an untitled holiday comedy project incite a bidding war, with Universal Pictures winning the rights.
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Katori Hall
Image Credit: Dan Wooller/Shutterstock Broadway’s leading light
The prolific playwright is back on Broadway with “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” a look at the life and times of the “Proud Mary” singer, which was a smash on London’s West End. Hall, an Olivier Award winner for her 2009 play “The Mountaintop,” will next serve as showrunner of Starz’s “Pussy Valley.” The series follows the female employees of a Mississippi strip club, and is an adaptation of her play of the same name.
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David Binder
Image Credit: MediaPunch/Shutterstock Brooklyn’s new guru
The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s decision to tap Broadway producer David Binder as its inaugural artistic director was a signal that the Fort Greene arts institution knew it needed some major star power. Binder, whose credits include the recent Tony-nominated revival of “Burn This,” has delivered. In Binder’s first artistic season, BAM will present “Medea” with Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale, Nigerian-born playwright Inua Ellams’ “Barber Shop Chronicles,” and a holiday show courtesy of postmodern diva Meow Meow.
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David Earls
Image Credit: Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock Tribeca’s moneymaker
Every successful arts organization needs a financial whiz. In Tribeca Film Institute’s case, its not-so-secret weapon is Earls, the former financial analyst who oversees the nonprofit’s fundraising and corporate governance. Earls, who now serves as managing director, joined the organization in 2003, then left in 2012 to start B.E. Capital Management. He was persuaded to rejoin the institute in 2017, to help it in its mission to provide opportunities for emerging moviemakers.
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Di Glazer
Image Credit: Charles Eshelman ICM’s young shining star
Behind every great Broadway star is a hard-charging agent. Take ICM’s Glazer. She’s been busy hammering out deals for some of the biggest names on the Great White Way. Her client list includes directors such as Rachel Chavkin (“Hadestown”) and Marc Bruni (“Beautiful: The Carole King Story”) and playwrights Sarah DeLappe (“The Wolves”) and Halley Feiffer (“The Pain of My Belligerence”).
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Glen Basner
Image Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock The dealmaker
The FilmNation founder has scored some big sales in recent years, playing a key role in hammering out pacts for “Late Night,” “The Big Sick” and the upcoming spy thriller “355.” On the TV front, FilmNation is producing upcoming HBO miniseries “I Know This Much Is True,” starring Mark Ruffalo. There’s no limit to the stages FilmNation takes on: Basner’s company is also at work on the Broadway production of “The Sound Inside” with Mary-Louise Parker, and just unveiled its first podcast, the sci-fi anthology series “Hyper-Thetical” with Kerry Bishé.
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Jon Rosen
Image Credit: Courtesy of WME MVP negotiator
The WME partner leads the agency’s non-scripted division. He has negotiated deals for everyone in the news business from Robin Roberts to Al Roker, Van Jones to Willie Geist. His sports clients include David Beckham and Alex Rodriguez; the latter signed a multiyear deal to join ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” while continuing as a Fox Sports analyst.
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“Desus & Mero”
Image Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock Future of late night
The double act of Desus Nice and The Kid Mero took a long route to their current role toplining Showtime’s first late-night series, rising to prominence with a podcast before launching a TV show on Viceland. With a bigger megaphone on the premium cabler, the hosts and Bronx natives express provocative, witty thoughts on politics, sports and entertainment and welcome guests such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Don Cheadle.
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Pete Alonso
Image Credit: Brynn Anderson/AP/Shutterstock The powerhouse
Despite playing the bulk of his games in cavernous Citi Field, the Mets star keeps hitting the cover off the ball. In 2019, he became the first rookie in major league history to launch 53 home runs and blast 30 doubles in a single season. (He’s just the second player, after the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, to reach 50 homers in his inaugural season.)
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Jeffrey Sharp
Image Credit: Debby Wong/Shutterstock IFP’s new executive director
As the new executive director of the Independent Filmmaker Project, Sharp, a prolific producer with credits that include “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Proof,” is tasked with helping moviemakers interested in crafting quirkier, more personal stories secure the backing they need to produce their passion projects. With IFP, he also oversees the Gotham Awards, an early stop on the way to the Oscars.
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Marty Diamond
Image Credit: Evan Felts Jewel of an agent
Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Janelle Monáe and Sara Bareilles have Diamond on speed dial. They’re just a few of the hot acts who routinely turn to the Paradigm global music chief for advice when lining up their next record deal or concert.
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Peter Hess
Image Credit: Courtesy of CAA Celebrity endorsements
As the co-head of commercial endorsements at CAA, Hess — along with Steve Lashever — oversees a business that generates $400 million in deals annually. His team has helped secure major advertising contracts for George Clooney (Nespresso and Omega), Julia Roberts (Lancôme), Penélope Cruz (Swarovski and Chanel), Kit Harington (Dolce & Gabbana) and Yara Shahidi (Bobbi Brown Cosmetics).
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Mackenzie Roussos
Image Credit: Courtesy of UTA/AP UTA’s comedy queen
Roussos reps a high-profile roster of comedians for UTA’s talent and literary departments. She has brought Aidy Bryant’s Hulu series “Shrill,” Awkwafina’s Comedy Central show “Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens” and Phoebe Robinson’s “Phoebe & Friends,” also for Comedy Central. Other clients include Michael Che, Vanessa Bayer and Michelle Wolf.
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Tamron Hall
Image Credit: Jason Merritt/Radarpics/Shutterstock Real talk
More than two years after a very public departure from NBC’s “Today” and a botched talk-show deal with Harvey Weinstein, the beloved broadcaster got the last laugh, landing her own nationally syndicated daytime show. “Tamron Hall” focuses on real stories and emphasizes Hall’s interaction with her in-studio audience more than celebrity sit-downs. The opening week rated as one of the best syndicated talkers since 2014.
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Janice Dean
Image Credit: Alex Kroke Sunny side up
As the senior meteorologist for the Fox News Channel, Dean has been a guiding force for millions of viewers every day when it comes to heat waves and snowstorms. This year, she peeled the layers back on her personal life, talking about her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in her memoir, “Mostly Sunny,” which debuted on the New York Times’ best-seller list.
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Ashley C. Ford
Image Credit: AP/Shutterstock Ace interviewer
Hailed by The New Yorker and Forbes as an important voice in media, Ford is a talk-show host for the 21st century. The former host of Brooklyn-based podcast “112BK,” Ford has taken her talents to weekly interview show “Profile by BuzzFeed News” and has sat down with guests ranging from Valerie Jarrett to Bella Thorne. Her memoir, “Somebody’s Daughter,” is forthcoming.
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Brent Montgomery
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety/Shutterstock Entrepreneurial innovator
After the success of “Pawn Stars” at his first company, Leftfield Pictures, which he sold to ITV for $360 million in 2014, then becoming the CEO of ITV America, the reality producer last year launched the Wheelhouse Group. The 18-month-old media enterprise creates a 360-degree business model for its media, content and talent partners, including Jimmy Kimmel, who formed production company Kimmelot with Wheelhouse. Other partners include Odell Beckham Jr. and Fyre Fest viral sensation Andy King.
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Gary Dell’Abate
Image Credit: Rob Latour/Invision/AP/Shutterstock Howard Stern’s most trusted
Whether it’s his undying obsession with vinyl records, his incorrigible weakness for chocolate or the infamous “Love Tape” he recorded for a girlfriend who dumped him, Dell’Abate, known to Stern superfans by the nickname “Baba Booey,” is the shock jock’s longtime executive producer. At Sirius XM, he’s been the gatekeeper to the host, not to mention the butt of on-air jokes that make for wildly entertaining radio.
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Courtney White
Image Credit: David Buchan/Variety/Shutterstock Ultimate foodie
Coinciding with Food Network’s 25th anniversary, in late 2018 White was promoted to president and quickly heated up the network’s ratings-friendly holiday fare. This year, under her direction, the cabler will feature 40% more seasonal programming for the period between Halloween and New Year’s. White also launched the baking competition series “Buddy vs. Duff,” which became Food Network’s highest-rated program of 2019.
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Padma Lakshmi
Image Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock More than “Top Chef”
Lakshmi’s résumé extends beyond her 16 seasons hosting “Top Chef.” A writer, activist, mother, model, actress and Twitter tastemaker, she also hovers on the edge of comedy. This past summer, she threw her second comedy show in Brooklyn to benefit abortion access, with a lineup that emphasized comics of color.
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Katie Hockmeyer
Image Credit: Andrew Lipovsky/NBC Late-night boss
Recently named NBC’s executive VP of late-night programming, Hockmeyer has had the sort of rise that becomes TV legend, having started her career at 30 Rock as a page. After stints as an assistant in Lorne Michaels’ office and working for then-NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Zucker, Hockmeyer spent the past decade at “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” most recently as showrunner. Now, she’ll oversee not just “Tonight” but also shows for Seth Meyers and Lilly Singh — and “Saturday Night Live” too.
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Aaron Tveit & Karen Olivo
Image Credit: Rex/Shutterstock Come what may
The dynamic stars of Broadway’s “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” have perfectly reinterpreted the 2001 Baz Luhrmann movie for the stage. While the musical’s soundtrack features classic songs from the film starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, it also includes dozens of melodies from contemporary radio. And Tveit and Olivo never break a sweat as they belt out pop tunes famously sung by everyone from Elvis Presley to Beyoncé.
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Susan Zirinsky
Image Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock CBS’ newsmaker
The veteran producer, who’s been at the network since Watergate, was brought in as the first female president of CBS News at a time of turmoil. After the scandal of Charlie Rose’s ouster, Zirinsky, who’s the inspiration behind Holly Hunter’s “Broadcast News” character, is putting deserving women in high-powered positions. She secured Gayle King’s contract extension, promoted Diana Miller to executive producer of “CBS This Morning” and named Norah O’Donnell as the third woman ever to anchor a solo evening newscast.
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Megan Rapinoe
Image Credit: Anna Gowthorpe/BPI/Shutterstock Soccer superstar
The outspoken forward and co-captain of the U.S. women’s national soccer team helped usher in its historic fourth World Cup championship in 2019, and became a star off the field with her passionate advocacy for equal rights and pay.
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Keke Palmer
Image Credit: Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock She’s a hustler
The 26-year-old former child actor established herself as a force in a major way this year, with a standout comedic performance in “Hustlers,” a co-hosting seat alongside Michael Strahan and Sara Haines on “Good Morning America” and the kind of viral fame (“Sorry to this man”) that only the most magnetic personalities can inspire.
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Noah Baumbach
Image Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock Heartbreak king
In the new film “Marriage Story,” Baumbach excavates the subject of divorce from two elegantly drawn perspectives: those of a director husband (Adam Driver) and an actress wife (Scarlett Johansson). That the film has emerged in Oscar prognostication as a potential heir to “Kramer vs. Kramer” — a film with both prestige heft and mass appeal — is a testament to Baumbach’s ability to wring bittersweet comedy out of emotionally wrenching moments.
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Julio Torres
Image Credit: Annie Lesser/imageSPACE/Shutterstock “SNL’s” secret weapon
The “Saturday Night Live” writer brought his surreal comedy to TV screens with the wildly funny HBO series “Los Espookys” (which was quickly renewed for a second season) and stand-up special “My Favorite Shapes,” confirming his singular voice.
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The Tenderloins
Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Shutterstock Laugh riots
Joe Gatto, James Murray, Brian Quinn and Sal Vulcano formed their comedy group The Tenderloins on Staten Island in 1999. Today, they’re in the eighth season of their truTV series “Impractical Jokers,” a hidden-camera show in which the four men use improv to prank each other in front of unsuspecting civilians. The outer-borough quartet has expanded beyond the small screen with sold-out live shows and an upcoming feature film.
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Brandon Maxwell
Image Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock Style and substance
The womenswear designer hit the big time when he began working with Lady Gaga in 2012; since then, he’s dressed some of the world’s most powerful and fashionable women, from Michelle Obama to Jennifer Lawrence to Nicole Kidman. This year, he expanded into media with his role as a sharp and empathetic judge on “Project Runway” — filling the shoes of no less an eminence than Michael Kors.